Base assembling apparatus



Aug. 26, 1952 E. c. TAYLOR ETAL 2,608,317

BASE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l Fjgl 4/2 g i R lnveni'ors? 2e 3 Edward C. Tagtor,

' Clarence G. HoLLand,

ManueL E C unha, b3 W0 A/ The-1T- At t'Ofn8s.

1952 E. cpTA YLoR ETAL 2,608,317

BASE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 3.

m I lnvervtors Edwavd C. Ta Lov; CLar'ence G. Holland, I Manuet E Cunha, ,b A

Thei1- A lrt'or'neg.

A g- 26, 1952 E. c. TAYLOR ET AL 2,608,317

' BASE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1949 4Sheets-Sheet 3 InveTvt'oT- s Edward C. Tagtov, CLarence G. lloLLand,

Mar'wuel, ECunha,

Their- A ti'pr'nea.

uz- 1952 E. c. TAYLOR ET AL V 2,608,317

BASE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /5 Fig.5. 6

42 I48 38 I /44 42 as m M3 w g 1%? M6 Inveni'ors Edward C. TayLov,

32' Clarence G. HoLLand,

Patented Aug. 26, 1 952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Edward C. Taylor, Johnston, Clarence G. Holland, Providence, and Manuel F. Cunha, East Providence, R. I., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 21, 1949, Serial No. 88,812

. '7 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to apparatus for automatically riveting contacts to lamp or radio tube bases and the like. More particularly our invention relates to automatically operated apparatus for riveting a plurality of metal contacts at respective positions to the insulation button at one end of such bases.

One object of our invention is to provide automatically operated apparatus for effectingthe attachment of a plurality of prong-shaped contacts to the insulation button at the end of lamp and radio tube bases. A further object is to reduce the manual skill required for the assembly of these parts and increase the uniformity and quality of the base and contact assembly over that produced through manual operations. Our apparatus is less fatiguing to operate than other manually actuated means and greatly reduces the cost of the assembly operation, much increased speed and efficiency are also realized by the use of the automatic apparatus.

Another object of our invention is to provide apparatus for automatically presenting bases at operative relation to riveting apparatus, for advancing contacts from feeding means to a position in operative relation to said riveting apparatus and for periodically indexing the base to present adjacent portions thereof at said operative position and effect the attachment of a contact to each of said portions. A further object of our invention is to provide apparatus for the above-referred to operations which is of the utmost practicability and which is capable of operatin satisfactorily for extended periods in the manufacture of large numbers of bases.

Still other objects and advantages of our apparatus will appear from the following detailed description of a species thereof and from the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one species of apparatus comprising our invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a complete lamp base after attachment of the base contacts by our apparatus; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the center of the apparatus alongline 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the right hand portion thereof; Fig. 4 is a composite vertical section through the base advancing turret, the driving means therefor and the contact placing means of the apparatus with the adjoining back of the apparatus appearing in elevation; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the essential driving elements of the base advancing turret and the base supporting arbor; Fig. 6 is an expanded perspec tive view of the main drive shaft and the cams The apparatus shown in the drawing providesfor the attachment of three L-shaped base prongs or contacts I to a base assembly 2 in the course of the movement of said base assembly 2 through the four work stations A, B, C, and D of said apparatus. The various operations effecting the attachment are brought about automatically and are under the visual supervision of a machine attendant, seated opposite work station A, who initiates the cycle of operation by placing a base assembly 2 on a Work supporting head 3 of the apparatus presented at said work station A. Successive movements of the work supporting head 3, which is one of four such heads mounted at degree intervals about a rotatable turret l, advance the base assembly 2 to the other work stations B, C, and D in turn and then return the head 3 to station A where it is again in a position to start a succeeding cycle of operation.

Of these work stations, station A is made use of by the machine attendant in inserting the base assembly 2 into the apparatus, and station B is an idle station also usable for loading, if desired.

Work station C is used to effect the successive arrangement and riveting of each of the three base prongs or contacts I (Fig. 2) to the base assembly 2, and in that connection has located adjacent thereto the discharge end of the feeding means 5 (only partially shown, Figs. 1, 3, and 4) presenting said contacts I in a correspondingly orientated position. Also located adjacent station 0 is the placing means 6 for carrying the contacts I from a position adjacent the feeding means 5 to proper mounting relation to the base assembly 2 and the riveting means 1 for feeding and driving tubular rivets 8 through aligned openings in said contacts I and said base assemly 2. Each contact Iis handled independently and follows a course of movement wherein it is carried from the feeding means 5 to one of the plungers 9 of the placing means 6 by operations of the transferring means it] at the same time as another contact I, held by another plunger 9 of the placing means 6, is being advanced to mountoccurs after the second contact 5 is attached so that the third contact l is attached to the case assembly 2 at still another position. The various operations of the placing means the riveting Now to the details of the apparatus, and the 7 course of manufacture which is initiated by the insertion of the base assembly 2 comprised of the cylindrical base shell if: (Figs. 2 and 3) and the integral end button $3 of insulation material.

' The machine attendant places the base assembly 2 upon the work supporting head 3 located at station A, as shown in Fig. 3, by moving and orienting said base assembly 2 so that the open end thereof passes over the three upstanding rivet sets i i and the set-supporting arbor l5, and the ends of said rivet sets is pass into three correspondingly spaced openings in the end button It or said base assembly 2. At the limit of the in sorting motion, the inner surface of the button i3 rests upon the shoulders it on the rivet sets it and the lower rim of the base shell i2 is spaced from all supporting surfaces. No further operations take place at station A.

The next occurring operation in the cycle is an indexing movement of the turret l which advances the head 3 and the base assembly 2 to station E and which i brought about automatically at a fixed moment by means of a leit-toright movement of said turret l. as represented by the arbor i5, is supported by bearings I'l-Il retained by the turret 5 and is advanced in accord with the design of the Geneva wheel and gear is and I8 (Figs. 3, 4, and 5) which convert the constant motion of the driving means to intermittent motion required. Other directly associated means comprises vertical supporting spindle Zti'joining the Geneva wheel 53 and the turret 3, and the main drive shaft 2i which actuates the adjacent vertical auxiliary drive shaft 22 supporting Geneva gear It. The support spindle 26, which is journalled in the bearings 23 and it retained by the base 25 and the housing 2t, respectively, is attached to the Geneva wheel It, which islocated between the spacing sleeves 2i and 28 thereon, and is positioned throughout the operation cycle by the shape of the portion of the Geneva gear IS in engagement with said wheel it. At such'timesas the turret 4 and the head 3 are at rest, a circular portion 29 of the Geneva gear is is in engagement with a concave portion of the Geneva wheel IS and no movement can occur in said turret 4 and head 3, although the auxiliary drive shaft 22 is in constant rotation. The indexing motion occurs when the auxiliary The head 3,

drive shaft 22, which is journalled in the bearings 38 and iii in the base 25 and the drive housing respectively, and which is driven from the main drive shaft 2! through spiral gears 32 and 33, is turned to such an extent that the stud 3d of the Genevagear Iii enters one of the radial slots 35 in the Geneva wheel 18 and turns said wheel I8. At such times, recesse in the edge of the gear l9 adjacent the stud 3d provide clearance for the protruding portions of the wheel It on opposite sides of' the slot 35. This arrangement of means provides for a relatively long rest period and a short indexing movement in the head 3 during each revolution of the auxiliary and main drive shafts ill and 22 and provides for the repetition of said rest periods and indexing movements at regularly occuring intervals. Further assurance of the accurate arrangement of the head 3 at each of the work stations is provided by the engagement of a ball 30 (Fig. 6A) carried by the turret 4 with suitably positioned openings 3i in the ring 43 attached to the bed 250:? the apparatus. The ball 39' is located within an opening in the turret t between two of the heads 3 thereon and is pressed against the ring so by the expansion force of the helical spring 32 located between it and safety set screw 33. The main drive shaft 2| is driven from a constantly operated source, such as an electric motor and speed reducer through the chain 35 and the sprocket 37. Further control over the position of the turret i is provided by the engagement of the'spring pressed ball with openings in the plate at the rest positions of the turret 5.

During indexing intervals and all other periods of operation of the apparatus, a control is effected over the orientation of the base assembly 2 bymeans fixing the rotative position of the arbor 55 of the head 3. At the time the base assembly is at station A and in the directly succeeding course of movement of the head 3, the arbor i 5 is caused to remain at the same position within the turret l by the presence of a flat tongue 33 on the lower end thereof in a groove 39 in the base directly along said course of movement. Other means for holding the arbor E5 in position is provided by the ring-shaped insert in the upper surface of the base 25 which bears against the outer face of the tongue 38 at such timesand which presents a wear-resistant surface for the outer face of the groove 39.

rrangement of the head 3 at work station 13' is not instrum ntal in advancing the manufac-- turing operation of the apparatus, as work station B is an idle station and no work is done on the base assembly 2 thereat. After the rest period of the turret expires, the head 3 is'advanced to station C in the manner of the previously described movement of the index of said turret 5.

The movement of the head 3 into station (3 advances the lower end of the arbor i5 into operative relation to other means for controlling the rotative position thereof and arranges the base assembly 2 carried by the head 3 at a definite relation to the various means havingto do with the feedin and riveting of the contacts l thereto. The presently considered means for orientatthe arbor i5 becomes effective when the tongue 38 on the lower end of the arbor it passes into the transverse slot sl (Figs. 3 and 5) in the upper end of the spindle 32 which occupies an opening in the insert so and the bed at work station (3 and is presently concerned only with the extension of the time said head 3 remains at the initially taken position in the turret I. The base assembly 2 is, at such times, held so that one opening in the end button I3 thereof and the associated riveting set I4 lies directly opposite the contact placing means 6 and the other openings and associated rivet sets III lie at 90 degree intervals in a counter-clockwise direction therefrom,

The next occurring operation of the apparatus is an operation of the contact placing means 6 which is actuated immediately upon arrangement of the base assembly 2 and the head 3 at station C. Actuation of the placing means 6 results in the placing plunger 9 directly opposite said head 3 being advanced toward the base assembly 2, and the base contact I carried thereby being positioned at mounting relation to said base assembly 2. As shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the placing means 6 comprises a plurality of stationary support spindle which is held in I place thereon by the nut 48 and washer 49 on the end of said spindle 45. The rotative positive of the turret 44 determines the alignment of the plungers 9 with the head 3 at station C and is presently under the control of the engagement of the spring-pressed ball 59, which is retained by the stationary support standard 5| for spindle 45, with an opening 52 in the disc 53, which is keyed to the inner end of said turret 44. Corresponding openings 52 in the disc 53 permit the turret 44 to hold each of the plungers 9 opposite the head 3 in the course of the operation of the apparatus. The pressure of engagement of the ball is sufficiently great to fix the alignment of the plunger '9 accurately with the'head 3 inasmuch as said ball 50 is backed by the relatively strong helical spring 54 behind the plug 55 in the opening in the standard 5|. The end-wise longitudinal advance of the placing plunger 9 to operative relation to the head 3 is brought about by means engaging the lateral flange 56 on the end of the plunger 9 near the standard 5| and moves said plunger 9 from a retracted position, where said end butts against the face of the disc 53, to the extended position shown where said flange 56 butts against the adjacent shoulder of the turret 44. In efiecting this lineal displacement of the plunger 9, the arm 51, which extends through a slot in the shield 58 to engagement with the flange 56, is swung to one side by the rotation of the lay shaft 59 journalled in the base of the standard BI, and is under the influence of the entrance of compressed air :behind the piston (not shown) within the cylinder 60 (Fig. 3) which piston is connected to shaft 59 through rod 6| and arm 62. Control over the above operation is afforded by the valve 63 (Figs. 1 and 6) which is connected to the head and base ends of the cylinder 60 by the pipes 64 and 65 (only partially shown) and the main air supply through pipe 66, and which is actuated by the rotation of variations in the cam 61 into engagement with the roller 68 of operating means therefor during the course of the rotation of the drive shaft 2 I. The other elements of the operating means comprises the pin 69 joining two corresponding operating plunger 9 directs the pointed foot I1 (Fig. 2) of the base, contact I into a correspondingly shaped recess in the crown of the end button I3 of the base assembly 2, whichcrown is located above the rim'of the shell I2, and when completeholds the contact I so that the end of said foot I1 butts against the walls of said recess. The accuracy of the advance of the contact I is in part due to the definite position of ,said contact I on the plunger 9. is caused by the seating of the angular prong portion 18 thereof against the end of the placing plunger 9 and the definite orientation thereof by the closing action of the relatively broad faces of the jaws 19 and 86 on the plunger 9. As shown in the enlarged section of :the end of. the plunger 9 in Fig. 'l, the wedge form of the e'ndsof the jaws I9 and 80, which are looatedon pivot pins 8I within longitudinal recesses in the sides of the plunger 9, press the prong portion 18 against the end of plunger 9 by their closing action which is effected by the expansion'force of the helical springs 82 and 83 engaging said .jaws I9 and 89.

through the push pins .84. I g

The order of operation of theapparatusnext brings about the riveting operationby which the base contact I is fastened to thebase assembly 2 and effects this operation by causing the punch 85 of the press 86 to force a tubular. rivet 8 (Fig. 4) down throughaligned openings in the foot 11 of the base contact I andtheend button I3 of the base assembly 2. The press 86and associated rivet-feeding means (not shown) make up the riveting means I of" the aparatus and function in combination with the rivet sets I4 of the head 3. The riveting operation is accomplished by the vertically movablepunch 85 which carries downward in each stroke thereof a single tubular rivet advanced thereto by the rivet-feeding means. The movement of the punch 85 as shown in Fig. 1 is eifected through the rearrangement of the toggle joint comprised of the links 88 and 89 which are attached to the punch 85 by pin 90 and to the stationary press 86 by pin 9I respectively,

and by the rotative movement of the rocker arm,

92 about the pivot pin 93 upon initiation by the entrance of air into the cylinder 94. A third link 95, attached to one endof the rocker arm 92 by pin 96 and to the toggle links 88 and 89 by pin 91, and a rod 98, joining the other end of the rocker arm 924 and the piston (not shown) within the cylinder 94, complete the operating means. The timing of the operation of the riveting means I initiated by the actuation ofvalve I4 is in the cam 99 on the main drive shaft 2|, which cam 99 actuates the valve I4 through the roller I [It (Fig. 6), arms WI, and the triggering arm I02. The riveting operation is initiated by the rotation of a notch in the edge of the cam 99 below the roller I00, as shown, and the consequent rotation of the arms IIlI to which the roller IOIlis attached by pin I03, so that pin I04 joining the opposite ends of arms I0 I and the triggering arm I02 are turned. At such times, the triggering arm I92 is moved This arrangement'of the contact I away from the mainbody of the valve l4 andthecontrol pin I is influencedto'the left as in Fig. 6 by the expansion force of the spring H16 and moves the valving slide Ill'I, which is keyed to the mid-portion thereof, to the presently considered position. Bearings for the control pin I65 are provided in the cap I08 around the spring ltd at one end thereof and inthe packinggland' I99, which also supports pin I04, at the opposite end thereof. The valving slide I ll! allows the compressed air of a source connected tothe valve is by pipe II I] to pass fromv the center chamber thereof to passage III and thence through passage I12 to the pipe H3 connected to the head end of the cylinder 94 and theair to escape from the opposite end of said cylinder 94 through pipe II4, connected passages H5 and IN, the pocket Ill in the slide I01, connected passages H8 and H9 and the exhaust pipe connection azo. valve "I4 has no metering function in'regard to the flow of air to the actuating cylinder 9'4 and all control related to the rate of the riveting operation lies in the pressure of the compressed air supplied thereto. the punch 85 forcesthe lower end of the tubular portion of the rivet 8 against the flare oi the upper end of the rivetsetI4, which is carrying the full weight of thebase assembly 2,. and in so 7 doing causes said end of the tubular portion to be flared outwardover the adjacent portion of the base button I3. Finally, the movement I progresses to anextent where the flange or flare formed on the lower end of the rivet 8 is pressed against the lower surface of the base button it and is set by the squeezing action of the punch 85 and the set I4. V

The withdrawal movement of the placing plunger 9, which is the next occurring operation of the apparatus, is brought about while the riveting punch 85is pressed tightly against the base assembly 2 and separates the plunger 9 from the base contact I, which is now a part of the base assembly 2. The pressure of engagement between the riveting punch 85 and the rivet set I4 with the base assembly 2 serves to hold said base assembly '2 in place while the longitudinal motion of the placing plunger 9 pulls the spring pressed jaws/l9 and 80 from the base contact 5. This withdrawal movement of the placing plunger 9 retracts it into the turret 44 to a position corresponding to the other placer plungers '9 therein and is initiated by a reverse movement of the The The downward movement of Y operating means therefor upon readjustment of the valve 63 as the further rotation of the cam 51 advances the roller 68 from the notch therein. At the present adjustment of the valve 63, compressed air is admitted through pipe into one end of the actuating cylinder and the head end of said cylinder 60 is vented through pipe 64 and one of the exhaust connections I5 on the side of valve 63.

The completion of the riveting cycle isefiected by the upward return movement occurring in the punch 85 of'the riveting means i. This operation isv effected by a readjustment of the control valve I4 as the continuing rotation of the main drive shaft 2| and the cam 99 carries the roller Iilll from the notch in. said cam 99 and the control pin I95 of said valve I4 is pushed back. In the presently taken position, the control pin I 95 holds the valving slide Illlso that the compressed air in the center chamber of the valve i is free to pass into the end of passage H6 and circulate to one end of the actuatin cylinder 94 and so that the passage Ill leading to the head end of in said slide Illl, passages I 22 and E23, and the exhaust connection I24.

The above-described placing and riveting operations occur during a time interval when the transfer means Ill (Figs; 1, 7, and 8) is effecting the insertion of another base contact I between the jaws I9 and so of another of the plungers 9 located almost directly above the plunger 9 which is in operative relation to the-head 3. This function of the apparatus is to prepare that particular plunger?) of the placing means 6 for the cycle of operation when it is to deliver the base contact I to riveting relation to a base assembly 2 and is; performed by the axial movement of the transfer plunger l25 from a position opposite the end of the feed chute 5 (Fig. 8) to a position against the end of the placing plunger 9 (Fig. 7).

The transfer plunger I25, as shown in Fig. 1, is supported the air cylinder I26 which is mounted upon the adjacentface of the press 86 and, at the moment the cycle of operation begins, is positioned to the left (Figs. 1 and 7) and is retracted into the cylinder E25. At such times, the endmos't base contact I on the feed chute 5 is free to slide onto the oblong end portion E2? of said plunger 25. The base contacts I are arranged one after the other upon the'feed chute 5 and are advanced therealong to the transferring means it by gravity and the sloping position of the chute 5, which provides in rail :28 a smooth inolined surface along which the feet 7 7 of the contacts I can slide. The prongs W of the contacts I, on the other hand, hang into the channel formed by the adjacent vertical faces of the rail 128 and the rail I23 and orientates the contacts l correspondingly so that the foot 71 of the. endinost contact l on the chute 5 slides freely onto the correspondingly sloping upper surface of the end portion i 21 of the plunger I25 and so that the prong '55 thereof passes to a juxtaposed position with reference to the flat end surface of said end portion I22. At the limit of the movement of the contact 5, the forward edge thereof butts against lip 535 on the movable slide I32 carried by the end portion I 2? of the plunger I25 and orientates the contact I, which is then clear of the ends of the rails l28 and I29 on said plunger I25. The arrangement of the slide 32 at the described position is due to the expansion force of the helical spring I 33 within a longitudinal passage in the plunger I25, which spring I33 bears against a piston I34 attached by screw I35 to said slide E32 and pushes the slide I32 endwise of said plunger I25 to a position where the shank of the screw E35 I36 in the plunger H5 in which it is accommodated. The contact I located upon the transbutts against the end of the slot with other automatic the terminus of the retracted movement of the transferring .means ill by a plate I 3? (Fig. 3) engaging the stationary stud I 38 extending from p the end of the turret support spindle 45.

The transferring movement of the plunger I25 is brought about at a momentfin the cycle of operation when the lowermost plunger 9 is ad- 9 vanced to operative relation to the'base assembly 2 and is initiated by manipulation of the valve 63, which also controls the operation of said plunger 9. Branch piping (not shown) conneeted to the valve 63 through pipes 64 and 65 provides the means of making the necessary connections to the opposite ends of the actuating cylinder I26 for the transfer plunger I25 and introduce compressed air into one end of said cylinder I26 while venting the air from the opposite end. The movement of the transfer plunger I25 continues until interrupted by passage of the prong 18 of the contact I between the jaws 19 and 80 of the plunger 9 and by the seating of said prong 18 against the end surface of the placing plunger 9. The orientation of the contact I is ordinarily not disturbed during the transfer operation as said contact I rests against the top surface of the end portion I21 of the plunger I25 and against the lip I3I of the slide I32. Finally, however, the end of the lip I3I butts against the end of the jaw 19 of the placing plunger 9 and the entire slide I32 is forced back relatively on the transfer plunger I25 against the resistance of the spring I33. The separation of the lip I31 from the prong 18 of the contact I at this time does notallow said contact I to swing from position as said prong 18 immediately engages the relatively wide face of the jaw 19 which keeps it in the desired orientation so that said transferring operation is effective in placing the contact I at a specific location at the end of the placing plunger s. Tongues I39 on the top and bottom overlapping portions of the slide I32, which are the means of holding said slide I32 in place on the plunger I25, move in grooves in the end portion I21 of the plunger I25 during the separate movement of said slide I32. As .shown in Fig. '7, the oblong end portion I21 of the plunger I25 extends sufiiciently along the length thereof to block movement of succeeding contacts I from the chute 5 at all moments when the plunger I25 is advanced. The subsequent retraction of the transfer plunger I25 occurs when the placing plunger 9 adjacent the base assembly 2 is retracted by the readjustment of the valve 63 and separates the contact I from said transfer plunger I25 as the contact I is gripped and retained by the jaws 19 and 89 of the placing plunger 9.

Further positioning of the contact I with respect to the placing plunger 9 occurs during a directly following interval when the indexed rotation of the turret 44 advances said plunger 9 laterally and said contact I passes below the roller I39. The function of the roller is to reposition the contacts I within the jaws 1'9 and 89 of the plunger 9 so that the foot 11 of said contact I will pass above the edge of the button I 3 to correct' mounting relation thereto during the later function of said plunger 9 and prevents said contact I from extending laterally of the plunger 9 sufficiently to strike the side of the button I3. The rearrangement of the contact I occurs when the lateral movement of the plunger 9 carries the extending foot 11 of the contact I against the roller which retains a fixed elevation and presses said contact I down to a definite limit. The roller I39 is mounted upon a pivot screw I3 I extending from a bracket I32 fastened to the press 86.

The retraction of the placing plunger 9 opposite the head 3 completes the operations associated with the attachment of one base contact I to the base assembly 2 and is followed by a rotative indexing movement of thehead 3, which arranges a secondportion of the base assembly 2 at the riveting position, and in indexing movement of the placing means 6, which arranges another plunger 9 holding a second base contact I in position to be advanced to the base assembly 2. Both indexing movements are for the purpose of preparing the apparatus for a second series of operations, corresponding to those previously described, which place the base contact I at the proper relation to the base assembly 2 and rivet said contact I thereto. The third base contact I is attached to the base assembly 2 in a corresponding manner by operations of the apparatus, including repeat indexing movements of head 3 and the placing means 6 and succeeding placing and riveting movements. The entire group of operations occur during the portion of the cycle of operations of the apparatus when the head 3 and base assembly 2 are located at station C.

The indexing movements of the head 3, which prepare the base assembly 2 for the reception of the second and third base contacts I, are brought about by rotative movements of the set-supporting arbor I5 of the head 3 through corresponding movements of the spindle 42, previously referred to, engaging the tongue 38 on the lower end thereof at this particular station (C7). The spindle 42, which is carried in the ball bearings I49 and MI in the base 25 of the apparatus, has a gear I42 upon its lower end portion which meshes with a second gear I43, (Fig. 5) on an intermediate idler shaft I44 and is, in turn, held in position by the rotative position of the intermediate shaft I44 which takes a rotative position controlled by means actuated by the auxiliary drive shaft 22. At the operating intervals when the indexing movements of the head 3 occur, the rotation of the auxiliary drive shaft '22 causes one of the groups of teeth I45, I45 on the interrupted gear I46 to engage and turn the gear I43 and the stop means, comprisedof the notched cam discs I41 and I48 on the auxiliary drive shaft 22 and the intermediate shaft I44, respectively, to relinquish control over saidintermediate shaft I44. At all other times. said head 3 and, accordingly, the base assembly 2 are fixed in position by the stop means and the rotation of auxiliary drive shaft 22 has no effect on the intermediate shaft I44 as a smooth portion of the gear I46, which is devoid of teeth, is opposite the gear I43. At such times a concentric portion of the disc I41 of the stop means is passing opposite the intermediate drive shaft I44, in which position it is located within one of a plurality of peripheral hollows I49 in the disc I48, and movement of the intermediate drive shaft I44 is prevented since the concentric portions block passage of wider portions of the disc I48 to positions therebetween. The holding function of the stop means is only relinquished when the indexing movements take place as then one of the notches I53 in the disc I41 accommodates the wider portion of disc I43 adjacent the hollows I49 therein. Each index is complete when the intermediate shaft M4 has turned sufficiently to rotate the head 3 and base assembly 2 ninety degrees, at which time another adjacent peripheral hollow I49 in disc I48 is opposite the disc Ml. Sincethe head 3 is indexed twice during its period of arrangement at station C, I99 degrees of rotation occurs in said head 3 and the tongue 33 on the set-holding spindle I5 thereof is again aligned with the course of movement to the next adjacent station at the end of this period.

The her'einbefore referred to indexing movements of the placing means 6 occur at the same moment as the indexing movements of the head 3 and are'iollowed by still a third duplicate indexing movement during the succeeding operations of the apparatus when the presently con" sidered head 3 is moved from station C and another head Sis advanced thereto. Each of these indexing movements of the placing means t is brought about mechanically by downward travel of a ratchet pawl ihl (Fig. 3) engaging the notched periphery of the disc 53 (Figs. 3 and 4) upon rotation of ,a directional variation in the groove I52 (Fig. 6) in the cam 553 on the main drive shaft 25 into engagement with the roller :54 on the actuating arm I55. The variation in the groove lezjeffects the downward travel in the ratchet pawl lei, which is pivoted upon the pin I56 extending from the arm lei, by causing a corresponding motion in the actuating arm 555, which is'connected to said arm i? by link i551, about the stationary pivot pin 159 extending from the drive enclosing housing of the apparatus. The arm I5! is pivoted within a central opening about a portion of the support spindle ii; in the standard SI and turns about said spindle T5 an amount causing the ratchet pawl 85! to rotate the discs 53 and accordingly the turret M sufiiciently to interchange the placing plungers E} in a counter-clockwise direction. The pressure of the wire spring I68 located about the outer end of the pawl lei keeps said pawl iei against the periphery of the notched disc 53 at all times and permits the said pawl lei to swing outwardly over the teeth of said disc 53 in the return upward movement thereof immediately effected by the cam I53. The spring ltd, which is hooked down under the lower surface of the pawl 15! and which bears against the post ii'ii extending from the arm Hi1, is not capable of pressing the pawl i5! against the disc 53 with sufiicient pressure to dislodge it in the return movement of the arm i5! as the spring-pressed ball 58 (Fig; 4) enters another opening in the ratchet disc 53 when it is properly located and resists any movement thereof. As indicated by the shape of the groove ['52 in the cam let, the pawl l5! remains at the upper position for a longer'interv'al during the periodthe heads 3 are moved to and from stationC. I

The operations of the apparatus associated with station C'automatica'lly effect the attachment of three base contacts I, spaced 98 degrees apart, to the base assembly 2 by duplicated series of operations, each responsible for the attachment of a single contact i, and are completed with the attaching apparatus in position to again function in the same manner when another base assembly 2 is presented at said station; The head 3 carrying the completed base assembly 2 has, however, turned 180 degrees from its initial position at the end of these series of operations and in the indexing movement of the turret 2 advancing said head 3 from station C to D, the next in order, is moved so that the tongue 38 on the set-supporting arbor i5 is carried laterally from the slot 4| in the spindle t2 and is caused to wipe the edge of'an adjacent further extent of the insert 4t. Rotation of the head 3 is prevented by the insert 40 during the presently considered index, which finally advances the tongue 38 into the transverse slot il (Fig. l) in the spindle 32' located at station I).

The unloading functions of the apparatus oc curring at station D begin When the head 3 is taking that station as the responsibility 'iorthe rotative position of the head 3 is then transferred to the spindle-52f and as the hingedpl-ate [62 located around. .the upper portion or? the setholding arbor E5 of said head 3 then engages and rides up onto thestation'ary roller let. Thislattcr operation tilts the plateifii about the hinge pin i655, bywhich it is attached to the spider H55 mounted on the top of the turret 4, inasmuch as the roller 53 is held at a fixed position by the bracket i655 extending from the press 86 and causes said plate it? to force the base assembly 2 upward from the rivet sets 14. .During the dwell of the head 3 at. station D, two rotative indexing movem'ents; corresponding to that produced at station C, occur in the head tand cause diametrically opposite rim portions of the base assembly 2 to ride upon the high part of the plate 552 so that the fulllperiphery of the base assembly 2 is forced upward equally.- Therotation of the head 3 is brought about by movements of the spindle 5.2, which is a duplication of spindle at station C and which is rotated in synchronism therewith, as gear M2 on the lower end thereof meshes with a second idler gear I53 engaging gear M2. The spindle M2 is mounted on the ball bearings Hi9 and MI carried by the bed 25, which also supports the idler spindle I4 1 holding gear M3. Rotation of the'head 3 also effects movement of the lateral passageway 1-67 the set-supporting arbor it into alignment with the outlet or the nozzle H58 and rearranges the head 3 at theposition at which itmust start the cycle of operation. At a-still subsequent moment in the course of the operation, :air is caused to be dischargedfrom the nozzle {68 so that it will pass into the lateral passage it], pass up the connected vertical passage l69 and blow the base assembly 2 into the dischargetube I Hi 'whichcarries it away from the apparatus. The air emitted by the nozzle its is con-trolledby the valve lH opposite the cam M2 on the main driveshait -2| is discharged ata particular time in the cycle of operation, during which the hump H3 .on the cam H2 depresses the control arm I 74, and efiects movement of the metering pin H5.

The-subsequent indexing-movement of the turret s carries thehead 3 followed by this description again to station A, thereby completing one cycle of operation-and preparation of said head '3 for a succeeding cycle Of operation. in this last indexing movement, the plate 6-2 passes-beyond the roller l63 anddrops down onto the flat circular plate H8 which supports it until the roller its is again encountered at station D.

All elements-of the apparatus 'have a-common support in the flat table 'II which is preferably mounted on legs (not shown) and which provides for the'incorporationof the main driving and other necessary -means (notshown) of a unitary machine with the described apparatus. The base 25 of the apparatusis mounted in a central opening in the-table H and has mounted thereabout theisupportstandardhl"of the placing means 6 and the press "86 hi .the riveting means i. The operation contrblling 'valves 63 and it are attached directly to th'eflower surrace of the table liwhe're'as the operation cylinders 5B and "are attached to'the edges thereof through pivot pin i'i'i'and bracket ii-Bland pivot pin I79 and bracket 1'80," respectively;

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent *oi the United States is:

1. In apparatus of -the clasfs des'c'ri-bed, the combination of -.a turret, gpmranty or 'heads mounted "abo'ut sai'd t'ur'ret for i-etation "stem their own axes and each having a plurality of rivet sets extending longitudinally therefrom at regular angularly spaced intervals about its axis, means to index said turret to carry the heads to successive stations including a riveting station, means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the head at said station to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to the angular spacing of the rivet sets thereon.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a turret, a plurality of heads mounted about said turret for rotation about their own axes and each having a plurality of rivet sets extending longtiudinally therefrom at regular angularly spaced intervals about its axis, means to index said turret to carry the heads to successive stations including a riveting station, means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the head at said station to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to the angular spacing of the rivet sets thereon, and means engageable with said heads at a station subsequent to said riveting station and operable to rotatively index each head about its axis an amount sufficient to return it to the rotative position originally occupied thereby in the turret prior to its indexing movements of the said riveting station.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a turret, a plurality of heads mounted about said turret for rotation about their own axes and each having a plurality of rivet sets extending longitudinally therefrom at regular angularly spaced intervals about its axis, means to index said turret to carry the heads to successive stations including a riveting station, means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the head at said station to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to the angular spacing of the rivet sets thereon, a rotatable placing means mounted adjacent said riveting station and including a plurality of members each adapted to grip a contact and mounted for movement toward and away from the head at said station, means to index said placing means, means to actuate said placing means members, and means operable to correlate rotative indexing of said placing means and successive advancement of said members thereon toward said head with successive indexes of said head duringits dwell at said riveting station.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a turret, a plurality of heads mounted about said turret for rotation about their own axes and each having a plurality of rivet sets extending longitudinally therefrom at regular angularly spaced intervals about its axis, means to index said turret to carry the heads to successive stations including a riveting station, means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the head at said station to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to the angular spacing of the rivet sets thereon, placing means comprising a rotatable drum mounted adjacent said riveting station and including a plurality of plunger members adapted to grip a contact and mounted about the periphery of the drum for rectilinear movement longitudinally thereof and toward and away from the head at said station, means to index said drum, means to actuate said plunger members,

and means operable to correlate rotative indexing of said drum and successive advancement of said plunger members thereon toward said head with successive. indexes of said head during its dwell at said riveting station. i

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a turret, a plurality of heads mounted about said turret for rotation about their own axes and each having a plurality of rivet sets extending longitudinally therefrom at regular angularly spaced intervals about its axis, means .to index said turret to carry the heads to successive stations including a riveting station, means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the head at said station to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to theangular spacing of'the rivet sets thereon, means to feed contacts, a rotatable placing means:

mounted adjacent said riveting station and said.

feed means and including a plurality of transfer members each adaptedto receive and grip a contact from said feed means, means to index said. placing means to carry the transfer members: thereon to a position opposite the head at said; riveting station, said transfer members being: mounted for movement on said placing means and toward and away from said head, and means. operable to correlate operation of said feed, means, indexing of said placing means and advancement of said transfer members toward said head with successive indexes of said head during: its dwell at said riveting station.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a turret, a plurality of heads. mounted about said turret for rotation about their own axes, each said head having a plural-- ity of rivet sets extending therefrom parallel to its axis and at regular angularly spaced intervals about said axis, said rivet sets having reduced. shouldered ends for supporting a lamp base by engagement with openings in an insulation button on said base, means to index said turret to carry the heads to a plurality of stations including a riveting station, means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the head at said station to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to the angular spacing of the rivet sets thereon, placing means mounted adjacent said riveting station and including a plurality of members each adapted to grip a contact andmounted for movement toward and away from the head at said station to place a contact on the base button thereat with an apertured portion of said contact in alignment with a rivet set, a riveting plunger at said riveting station and mounted in alignment with the head thereat for movement toward and away from the rivet: set to press a rivet through the aligned openings: in a contact and a base button and to upset the: rivet against said rivet set, and means coordinating a sequential operation of said placing. means members together with successive operations of said riveting plunger and successive indexes of the head at said riveting station to effect attachment of contacts corresponding in number to the number of said rivet sets during the dwell of the head at said rivet station.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a turret, a plurality of heads mounted about said turret for rotation about their own axes, each said head having a plurality of rivet sets extending therefrom parallel to its axis and at regular angularly spaced intervals 1'5 about said axis, said rivet sets having reduced shouldered ends for supportin a lamp base by engagement with openings in an insulation button on said base, means to index said turret to carry the heads to a plurality of stations including a riveting station; means engageable with a head at said riveting station and operable during the dwell of the-headat said station, to rotatively index the head about its own axis in angular increments corresponding to the angular spacing of the, rivet sets-thereon, placing: means comprising a rotatable drumvmounted adjacent saidiriveting station and includinga. plurality of plunger membersadapted to grip a. contact and mounted about the periphery ofthe drum for successive rectilinear movement longitudinally thereof and toward and away from the. head at said station to place a contact on the base: button thereat with an apertured portion. of said contact in alignment with a rivet set, means to rotatively index said drum to' carry said plunger members successively into a position opposite said head at theriveting station and means to effect; the rec+ tilinear movement of a plunger-member located at-saicl position, a rivetin plunger at said rivet- 16 mg station and mounted" in alignment with the head thereat for movement; toward and away from the rivet set to. press a rivet through the aligned openings in a contact and a base button and" to upset-the rivet against said rivet set, and meanscoordinating a sequential operation of said placing means plunger members together with successiveoperations ofsaid riveting plunger and successive indexes of the head at said riveting station to effect attachment of contacts correspending innumber to the number of saidrivet sets during the dwell of the head at said rivet station. e

' EDWARD C. TAYLOR.

CLARENCE G. HOLLAND. MANUEL F. CUNHA.

BEFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Merwin June 24,1947

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